Mastery
by Christine Lennoire
Summary: For a girl trying to be a ninja, it is important for her to master many skills to get through the training and earn the respect. It is much harder for them... Tenten is about to explain to her strong teammate just why...


Mastery

By Christine Lennoire

**Anime: **Naruto

**By: **Christine Lennoire

**Genre: **Romance

**Pairing: **Neji/Tenten

**Summery: **For a girl trying to be a ninja, it is important for her to master many skills to get through the training and earn the respect. It is much harder for them... Tenten is about to explain to her strong teammate – just why...

Tenten hit every mark perfectly. Her feet shifted ever so slightly, and she set another shower of kunai at her scarecrow of a target. Aware of everything around her, she was able to sense each movement of the wind around her and used it to her advantage until she could hit all of the vital spots on her dummy with exact precision. Ever since she was a little girl, she knew all of the vital spots by heart. She had been working on her ninja skills ever since she began learning the vital spots. For her, it was just one more year and some new technique, skill, or style to master.

'Just add it to the list...' She said to herself grinning. Training for so long left her with a large list of skills, techniques, styles, moves, and weapons already mastered with hard work and determination. To her, everything was about becoming stronger and making that list of strengths longer. But year after year, there was always one thing that she wanted to get accomplished, but it seemed to be the one thing she couldn't seem to master above all the others, no matter how hard she tried. Why, she never could understand...

Angry... frustrated... violent... Tenten pulled some more weapons out and continued a whirlwind assault of the lifeless doll attached to the tree in front of her, using all sorts of kunai, shuriken, needles, and stars. All of them hit, because she was Tenten, and she never missed. OR at least that's what she liked to believe, since she was a weapon master. She needed to be an all around master. But the one thing she couldn't master kept haunting her with words she just didn't want to hear. No matter how irrelevant it was, it kept bothering her.

Neji sensed her presence, and decided sparring with her would be better than training alone. Actually, he enjoyed sparring with her. She was more of a challenge now, and her skills kept changing, so he never really knew what to expect. The unknown excited him and he searched her out. When he began to get near – Tenten sensed him and stopped, weary of hitting him. "Oh, hey Neji!" she grinned. Her back was turned to him, but she could almost sense him leaning back against the tree, and feel his eyes watching her closely for any signs. "Did you need something."

He nodded. "Lee met up with Sensei..." Neji said, walking closer, as if it explained everything. And just as simply, it did. Tenten laughed nervously, fearing the combination and turned to face him. "Let's see the effects of your training..." Neji said, retreating back into his fighting stance. She grinned and nodded enthusiastically. She loved sparring with him just as much as he enjoyed sparring with her. His talent was amazing, and she always learned something new from the fight.

For a long time, they just fought. With her new skills, Tenten was able to bounce back and fight longer than ever. But she was still outmatched. Yet... since the beginning, she had been waiting to try something new. Usually she would use all kinds of weapons and strings. Yet this time, she used one at a time and never used the string. Neji should have sensed something awry, but thought it was just because he was moving too fast for her. She was proving a worthy opponent, so he said nothing. But now, she had him in a trap.

All of the strings put together, formed a strange web... and from the center, she was able to control them all. Thus, she created a new special jutsu that allowed her the fight by controlling the strings of her so-called 'spider web'. Her web made it easy for her to attack without having to move far – and the web moved all the weapons exceptionally well. Tenten could pick which weapon to attack with, by simply pulling one string and maneuvering one or two others attached. It was like a puppet – she called in the 'widow spider: tangled web of weapons' jutsu – just because she thought it sounded so cool.

It was all worth it, just to see Neji's surprise when he was caught right in the middle of it. With his speed, he was able to dodge it, but just barely. Escaping to the outer edges of the web, he saw just how exhausted she was, and called the spar to an end. For the first time in a long time, Neji was actually quite impressed by her hard work and mastery of such a difficult and demanding skill. It had taken her a long time – and lots of practices spent on her own in the middle of the forest to master it, but it was worth it... especially if it almost caught the great genius Neji...

"Okay, that's enough." Neji said, jumping down from the tree he had been hiding in. He wasn't good at giving out compliments, so she learned to read him carefully and in depth. The simple nod he gave her, really meant, 'Great job.' and signified that he concidered her to be a worthy opponent. Very rarely would he actually say these things, so it was important to notice all the little things that gave it all away. Tiredly, Tenten tugged all her weapons down out of the trees by their strings and began collecting them from the ground.

Noticing her slumping form, Neji decided he would play the gentleman and help her pick them up this once. Normally, he would flit off quickly without any thoughts on his teammate. But slowly, he was starting to notice just how much stronger she was, and how much she had changed over the years. Actually, in a way, he was impressed. Of all the girls, Tenten was the only one he thought deserved praise. Other girls just seemed weak to him. Anybody who could stand up to train with him was worthy of the space and time they took up in his world – that was his belief.

After all the weapons were gathered, she packed them up carefully. She would have to clean them all, but that could be saved for later. Neji decided to speak up. "That technique... was... well performed." Neji said, struggling with his words. Although it seemed like nothing, and even as a compliment, it wasn't anything big – to get a compliment out of the genius Neji Hyuga... it meant the world to Tenten... she had never been complimented by him before, and her face simply lit up with delight. "It must have taken you forever to... perfect." he added, trying his hardest to summon up a normal conversation starter.

Inwardly, she giggled. It was cute to see his one insecurity: and that was being social. But really, she was just glad to see him trying. Then... she blushed lightly. It was probably the first and last time she might get a friendly conversation out of him, so... she decided maybe it was time to tell him what was on her mind. "A little... I mean, it's difficult to get every string in place before the enemy screws them up or notices what I'm doing... but I'm getting faster. Mastery... that is the key. Don't stop until you can master each technique." she said, sitting down under one of the trees nearby, with her back to the trunk.

Neji listened, even though he showed no real signs of interest, and sat down across from her – taking the hint that this might take a while. "You know... that's what I've been doing all my life. Mastering skills, one after another... but it's never boring, because there's always something new... something more out there. And yet... every year when I make my list of things I want to get accomplished... the one thing I want to master the most always seems to get pushed aside. As a ninja, I want to be strong. As a person, I want to be strong. As a friend... I want to be even stronger... to protect the people I love and cherish..."

She blushed. "But... there is one thing I've always wanted to do... but I have been too weak... too scared... too foolish to do it. All my other skills and techniques fall in place, but I have become distracted by this one thing that I want..." she said. Neji blinked. No one had ever really been this honest and open to him before, and he didn't know what to say or do... he never had experience with consoling people... but maybe she wanted him to train her to do this... this whatever it was that kept alluding her. He was indeed the strongest person she knew... If that was it, well then... he could handle that... right?

But she was standing up... "I'm not afraid anymore. You know... I can't wait any longer! All my life, I have gotten used to the fact that everyone is going to look down on me, because I'm a kunoichi... a female ninja... I finally understand why guys look down on us. It's because as females, we don't fight with our minds or our muscles, like guys like to. No... it's because we fight with our hearts, and guys think we're weak because of that. But everything I have accomplished, is because I have fought with my heart. It's the strongest of all three of those."

"And yet, for me – it's the hardest thing to face. Because deep down, I have to deal with guys who are like that every day... one of them means the world to me... but he doesn't know that I exist. He probably just sees what all other guys who want to be ninja, sees... a girl who has a shallow mind and weak body... nothing worth being proud of... a nobody." she sighed. And now... getting all of that off her chest, she was ready to go home and mope about the house all day, realizing that he probably knew what she meant by now... She turned around, only to be brought full circle by a pair of strong arms.

Neji was... staring. What he was looking for, she couldn't tell. But mostly, she figured he was trying to think of the words to say. "Since we're all telling secrets today... I have one too. I... envy you. I wish I was able to follow my heart like that. But... if you were able to conquer the fear, maybe I too could master my emotions... someday..." he said. If she didn't know him any better, she would have said that he was smiling. And she knew he was, but... it wasn't like his usual smirks, so she didn't know what to say.

"If that guy was so great – than he'd be able to see in you, what I see... if he could... then, why I think he might just love you..." Tenten's eyes widened considerably. Neji was NOT two things... emotional and sweet. Not usually anyway. He was blushing, and could barely look her in the eyes... In a moment, she knew he could go back to the old, cold and uncaring Neji she knew and also cared for, but... she wanted to take this moment while she still could, and finish what she had started...

Tenten could feel her heart racing as she wrapped her arms around him. "Thanks..." slowly, she leaned in and kissed him square on the lips. He was almost as surprised as she was. Her own bravery startled her. And she never imagined kissing Neji... never! But she was... and he was, in a timid way... kissing her back. Her heart could have done all kinds of somersaults, if it weren't connected to all those arteries... Still, it was the most amazing feeling in the world, and she didn't want to let go.

Unfortunately, her lungs said otherwise... Eventually, she had to pull back. Both of their faces were crimson. And yet, through it all, she managed to smile. "I... don't know what to say, Neji. But... I... I love you! Ever since I got to know you, I couldn't help it!" she blurted out. Her face got even redder. "But you're so... and I'm not... and..."

He silenced her with one finger and smirked. "No one's perfect. We all have baggage... but what you said... has not fallen upon deaf ears. You can say that you've mastered making me feel bad." he blushed. "I'm a caged bird... fate has scared me in ways I ever imagined. But it has done some good things for me as well. I could have never fallen in love with a more wonderful person." he blushed, kissing her again – this time being the initiator, he felt a wonderful rush.

Tenten always enjoyed checking goals off of her list... but this one really was the most wonderful of all.

Well that was exciting... my first NejiTen! I hope you liked it. Please review and tell me what you think of it. I think this has definitely become my longest one-shot ever. And I'm kinda glad, because this one deserved the in-depth meaning and such... so... I hope you enjoyed it, and... until next time... REVIEW! woot!

Christine Lennoire


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